Darkness Falls
by MBP
Summary: Bill's devastation is clear as he tells the others about Mad Eye's death, but there's time for more reflection when he comes home after not finding his body. Fleur tries to help.


Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter. (Who doesn't?) I obviously do not.

A/N: Here's another "missing moment" with a favorite couple. (I have a feeling more fan fic is on its way thanks to Cursed Child, but this was in my brain first after rereading the series…)

It is an unsettled night. None of them can really believe that they got Harry safely to the Burrow — but they really can't believe that Mad Eye is — is gone. And Bill can believe it least of all.

Fleur knows that he is trying with all his might to keep his spirits up for his parents and siblings, but the way his voice broke when he had to break the news broke her heart, and she knows that he hasn't stopped thinking about that moment when the spell hit one of his mentors squarely in the heart. She knows he hadn't _wanted_ to cause her even more worry, so she couldn't argue when he insisted on going to look for the body. She just wishes now that they'd found it.

When Bill returns to the Burrow much, much later, she knows without asking that they weren't successful. He doesn't speak to her for a while. She is alone in the sitting room, reading a book (she's still not sure how she managed to convince Molly and Arthur to let her wait up for Bill's return alone) — or at least trying to — when he returns, and she looks at him over the top of it as he moves around the kitchen, looking for something he clearly won't find. Finally, he settles on tea, and after he's sufficiently pleased with it, he brings it over to the couch and joins her in silence.

For many minutes, Bill stares broodingly over his rapidly cooling mug of tea, and Fleur sends surreptitious glances over her book at him, wondering if he's ever going to speak to her. She knows she needn't worry — that he will speak when he's ready. It's taken months, but she's learned that he will not be pushed, and that is _why_ he speaks to her — because she doesn't push. There are times, though, when it's harder not to, and this is definitely one of those times. There is a darkness in Bill's eye that she doesn't often see, and it hurts her to know that he is suffering like this. But there is nothing she can do for him until he is ready to accept her help.

It is when Fleur has just about given up hope that any conversation will happen tonight that Bill mumbles, 'I can't believe his body just… disappeared."

She looks up with a start. She'd finally turned her attention back to her book with every intention of at least reading beyond the sentence she's memorized over the past twenty minutes, and now, all of the words on the page before her fly out of her head.

"Maybe — maybe someone 'as transfigured eet," she says softly. It is not the answer he wants, but it is the one that makes the most sense, which he acknowledges with the slightest jerk of his head as he sighs shakily.

"Probably," he says quietly, and even though it's the only word he says, Fleur hears his voice tremble, and she swallows hard.

"Eet — eet was good of you to look, my love," she says gently. "But 'zat was all you could do. If — if zey deed not want you to find 'im, you know it would be impossible."

Bill shrugs, but Fleur sees now that the hand holding the mug is also trembling, and she slowly puts her book aside and takes his hand in hers. He looks at her, and his jaw is clenched, but the tears are brimming in his eyes, a look she's only seen twice before — when the reality of Greyback set in and when the reality of Dumbledore's death had finally hit. This makes perfect sense to her, more than the numbness did.

He shakes his head, as if that will contain the tears that are threatening to spill over, but of course it doesn't, and he quickly wraps his arms around her, hoping that if she doesn't see his face, he won't feel as weak. But as his shoulders begin to jerk with the sobs he can no longer contain, he stops caring and lets her hold him.

Fleur's own eyes are full as she holds on tightly, and she wishes there were something she could do to help ease Bill's pain and guilt, but she knows better by now. She also fears this is only the beginning of these losses and can't imagine how much harder this will all get.


End file.
